News

Transit for a Stronger Economy

01/09/2013

By Barb Thoman, Executive Director

A campaign is brewing in the community, with bold plans to
move legislators to action at the Capitol this session. Over the last year, Transit
for Livable Communities and our partners have been sitting at the table with
leaders from many different backgrounds, asking how transportation works for
them. We’re hearing a consistent message—that our current transportation system
limits opportunity. People are stuck in traffic or stuck at home. They have few
options for getting to work and school—or for saving money on gas, parking, and
vehicle costs. And, our economy, while improving, still needs to generate more
jobs and bring new businesses to the region.

As we’ve met with business leaders, social service
organizations, developers, people with disabilities, unions, and environmental
groups, we have heard many voices speak about the challenges they face and the
opportunities to make things better.

“Access to convenient transit plays a significant role in making ends
meet.” John J. Errigo, Director of Housing Development, Aeon

At the Courage Center in Golden Valley, for instance, more
than 20% of appointments are cancelled, many because of transportation issues. The president of North Hennepin Community College says his students “are a dead
car battery away from dropping out of school.” The CEO of Episcopal Homes of
Minnesota says “access to transportation is one of the most significant
deciding factors” for seniors “considering places to live.” Corporate site-selectors say that transit and the easy movement of goods
through the region are a bigger factor than taxes in deciding where to locate.
Companies that are here don’t want to pay for more parking. Many are concerned
about transportation’s role in personal health, air pollution, and climate
change.

The people we’re meeting also see opportunities to make it
easier to get around. The possibility of a new light rail line has kindled the
entrepreneurial spirit at the New American Academy in Eden Prairie. Commuters from Hopkins and Lakeville are excited that new LRT or BRT service
will mean they can stay downtown and still get home safely after dinner or a
ball game, theater or time out with friends. Developers are finding traction in
promoting walkable neighborhoods and new projects that are bicycle friendly or
close to transit lines.

“This proposed transit
project is backed by multiple chambers of commerce. . . . They all see the
potentially transformative power of this investment and are very mindful about
what it takes to attract new talent.” Louis Smith, Southwest Corridor
Investment Partnership

In short, there are many voices saying our region needs more
transit, bicycling, and walking to build a stronger economy—as a region and for
individuals of every background and income level. Statistics and reports back
these voices up: transit use is rising
in the metro and statewide, as are the number of people taking their bicycle or
walking to get to some of the places they need to go.

“There is a great
opportunity within multi-racial and multi-cultural groups as we work together
to make sure that transportation in and around the Twin Cities becomes more
equitable and reliable.” Hashi Shafi, Somali Action Alliance

More than 25 organizations have signed on to Transit for a
Stronger Economy (see list below). What does the campaign call for? Basically,
we want to move faster on transit so the region can compete—so everyone has a
stronger economy. We want a 21-st century transit system in 15 years, not 30 or
more, with additional LRT and BRT, but also expanded bus service and the
ability for local cities and counties to put in bike routes, trails, and
sidewalks, comply with ADA requirements, and make other transit-related
improvements. We want transit systems in Greater Minnesota to be able to meet
demand.

Why now?

Other regions are moving much faster than we are. Business
leaders say the return on investment in building out the transit system is
high—and gets better if we move faster.
Currently only 25% of metro area residents live near convenient transit service
and many residents of Greater Minnesota have only the most minimal service. Other
cities, such as Denver, Seattle, Dallas, and Salt Lake City, invest more and
provide more transit than we do. Los Angeles, once known for highways and smog,
is now a leader in planning for a region where people get around by transit,
bicycle, walking and driving. It’s time for the Twin Cities to step it up.

What happens if we DON’T act?

If we don’t act, our funding for transit improvements will
dry up. Instead of building a system that is working in 15 years, when today’s
three-year-olds are going to college, we’ll be looking at a system in 30 or 40
years. Specifically,

Progress on building a regional system will
stop. Full funding for the Southwest LRT is not certain and there are not funds
to carry out plans for Bottineau, Gateway, or any additional transitways. Minnesota
would fall farther behind competing regions in attracting and keeping jobs.

No funds to upgrade bus service, neither “rapid
bus” service on high-volume routes nor expanded bus coverage and service hours.
The bus system we have is highly efficient, it is just too small. Many routes
do not run on weekends and have limited service after peak hours.

Very limited funds to meet local needs for safer
sidewalks, bicycle routes, ADA compliance, and local transit investments.

Statewide, without additional funding there will
be no growth in transit service for the next 20 years. There are still a few
counties with no service and many counties with very limited service.

Transit for Livable Communities and the growing Transit
Partners Coalition it facilitates is ramping up for the biggest effort ever to
secure additional funding for transit and those key connections for people on
foot, bicycle, and using a wheelchair.

We will be asking the legislature to provide for the
build-out and operation of a regional system of bus and rail and to allow
cities and counties to ensure safe connections for people walking, bicycling,
or using a wheelchair.

Transit is a key to a legislative agenda that will be
focused on job creation, economic competitiveness, and tax reform. Join us—contact Whitney Lawrence (whitneyl[a]tlcminnesota.org) to find out how you can be involved.

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Comments

I agree that our Transit system needs a boost to keep it moving forward and to bring better options to transit riders. By building better LRT and commuter trains we can have safe reliable transist that will be benefited by all transit riders and suporters. Buses alone can not get the job done. They are not reliable and do have problems in Minnesota's winters with the lack of MNDOT and cities/suburbs not making all sidewalks clean of snow and ice, how can disabled people, like myself and those that are in wheel chairs get to their bus if the sidewalks are on cleared. I do not think that only Streets and people that drive cars are the only ones that matter when it comes to transit and transportation.

The SWLRT needs funding and we need to get it running by 2018 so that the people in the Southwest corridor can have options to brannch out and get around outsde of their communities. There are a lot of seniors that live in Hopkins, like my mother who are excited that a new light rial system can take them other places and they will no longer be limited as they have been in where they have not been able to go. The planning stages have been moving forward and now we hear about freight rail problems and a school for the Samoli community that may have to look elsewhere to build. It is not right that people did not speak up early on to voice there concerns. The SWLRT will open up many more options and bring people to jobs that they have had a
hard time getting to by bus alone. The needs of transit riders need to be put into place so that they can get to those jobs and to the schools for higher learning. Without the SWLRT to happen a lot of opportunities for the Southwest communities will not happen.

Upgrading bus services is a good thing if it is done with a whole new kind of bus system. The present bus system that we have in the Twin Cities is very outdated and not as functional as it once was and does not have the
capability to serve the many more thousands of people that use it every day going into the 21at century. It also needs a more practical way of serving the disabled people of our communites who have no car or can not drive because of their disabilites. Road constructions wins out every time we look to Metro Transit for Transit improvements.